The Queen of Disaster
by Lacrow
Summary: Monster Hunters were sanctioned by the Guild to slay beasts and find glory. Being stuck in a two-bit village and suckered into buying a piece of junk weapon, which happens to have the soul of a dead Elder Dragon trapped inside, it'll be a wonder if Maka Albarn can live long enough to do any of the above.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Soul Eater or the Monster Hunter franchise

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**The Queen of Disaster**

**by.** Lacrow

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**Would you like to buy a Hunting Horn?**

* * *

"A hunting horn? Really, Sid?" Maka deadpanned, not expecting nor wanting an answer.

Meanwhile, the tall, muscular shop-keep behind the counter only widened his already huge grin. In his hands before him, a strange, metallic weapon that Maka had never seen before, not that it interested her in the least. For Sid however, it was a thing of beauty. Few appreciated the elegance that hunting horns uniquely held, but being the only weapon smith within miles of this rinky-dink village they were stuck in only increased Sid's appreciation for the hard-to-come-by. The only problem was trying to convince hunters to purchase the things he found interesting; most of them didn't.

"And what's wrong with that?" Sid countered, still glowing with excitement. "You of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover!"

"Books are one thing, weapons are another," the young hunter huffed. She brushed the hair out of her face anxiously, as if trying to silently convey her dismay.

Sid was a much needed asset in this Guild Post. Being so far away from the mainland, the Hunters Guild didn't find it necessary to equip the village with anything more than food and a few crap weapons. If it weren't for Sid lending his services for a small fee, the monster hunters of the region would've found themselves swinging around sticks to slay Jaggis, or worse, dragons. And of the dozen or so hunters who were unlucky enough to be suckered into coming here, Maka was by far the closest with Sid. She was an excellent hunter, so when he needed the materials, she'd be the one to bring them to him. Ergo, she got the best equipment, and likewise the cycle continued. They had a good relationship, which is why it puzzled her why he'd try to sell her _this._

A hunting horn was basically like a hammer, although it didn't have to be one. Essentially, it is a tall, heavy weapon that one swings around in order for wind to pass by it. And depending on the kind of musical attachment on it, the weapon creates either a wind or drum-based sound that when strung together creates music. This music then proceeds to have various effects on the battlefield, depending on the weapon itself and the monster whose parts was used to create it. For all intents and purposes, they were show pieces with no real legitimacy in a warzone. They were jokes.

"Sid, you know I use Switch Axes! Do you know how long it took me to make this one?"

The shop-keep's grin wavered slightly, "Well, of course I do. I'm the one who forge it for you, remember?"

"Right, so why would you try to sucker me into buying this junk?" Maka ground out, almost hurt. "Well? I'm listening."

Sid took a step back, put off by her agitation towards him. But seeing as how he didn't want to offend her, he grumbled, "Fine, gimme a second."

He turned around and disappeared behind an open doorway, leaving Maka there to simmer by herself. She knew Sid must have had a good reason for it, but that didn't matter at the moment. She had a reputation, and if the other hunters saw she had traded a Switch Axe for a Hunting Horn, she'd never hear the end of it. There was no way she'd give up the elegant piece of high-tech equipment on her back for a trombone or whatever it was before her...not that she'd even bothered to look at it while Sid was trying to give his sales pitch.

Against her better judgment, Maka looked down at the piece of steel on the counter and gave it a proper look over. She was surprised by what she found; no windpipes or drums, no openings of any kind, really. It was a smooth, solid rod of steel that ended in a huge, intimidating sickle. Never before had she seen a scythe-type weapon before, because quite frankly there were none. And what was even stranger were the ivory keys on the butt of the blade, sprawled out like teeth ready to chomp at would-be monsters. It was a fricken piano. A scythe with a keyboard on it!

"...Cool," she muttered, running her hand over the shaft. The metal was pristine, worked by a real pro. Even Sid couldn't make weapons of this quality.

Speaking of which, the man took her by surprise. He fumbled in with something in his hands, while at the same time she awed over the piece she mocked moments ago. He caught her red-handed, when she lifted her eyes up to meet his and immediately retracted her hands in embarrassment. Sid smiled, but said not a word about it. That didn't stop Maka's face from blushing red, but at least he didn't give her crap about it. His attention was instead devoted to the thing in his hands, which was wrapped in cloth. He placed it on the table and threw off the wrappings, revealing what looked like a claw.

Sid stepped back and folded his arms in satisfaction, "That came with the weapon. Neither were on my shipment list. They both just sort of appeared."

"What's it a claw of? Rathian?" Maka threw her head in to examine the relic; far too big to be a Rathian's claw. The piece looked like it weight nearly five pounds on its own.

"From what I can tell, it's off an elder dragon." Sid smiled when Maka looked up at him, dumbstruck. "If my hunch is right, that claw's just leftover material. The brunt of it went into making that scythe."

That was a bold assumption. Elder dragons were creatures that lived for an indefinite amount of time and the longer they live, the stronger they become. Not all of them were dragons, but for classification's sake, it was better to group them all together. Each one was insanely powerful, so a hunter killing one without dying himself was rare. And for that hunter to make it back with enough materials to forge equipment out of them was almost unheard of. The Hunter Guild condemned anyone below rank fifty from going after them, meaning few had the privilege.

So to have something like this in front of her was like a gift from heaven. All of a sudden, it didn't matter to Maka that this weapon was technically a hunting horn. Simply by being carved from the likes of an elder dragon was enough reason to throw all her money at it. Besides, Sid wouldn't lie to her...at least, not over something this important. He was a shop-keep, his goal was to make money, but he was still her friend and the ultimate hookup when it came to rare equipment. On top of that, this weapon was awesome; whoever heard of a hunter using a scythe to slay monsters?

Maka didn't hesitate to throw out her price. "I'll give you ten thousand zeni for it!"

"Wha-?" Sid stared at her, before throwing his head back to laugh. "As if I'd let it go for that much!"

"Twenty thousand! And I'll even throw in some amber tusks I got off a Barioth!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the cash.

Throwing it down on the table, Maka stared down her friend-turned-merchant and prayed to god he'd accept the bid. It was all of her money, though even she knew it wasn't _nearly_ enough money for a weapon like that. With hardened determination however, she waited for Sid's reply. At first he didn't seem to bite, his shoulders slunk low as if to tell her that he'd have to refuse. But after a little bit of coaxing, with Maka reminding him he'd get some rare resources out of the deal too, it didn't take long for him to sigh deeply before reaching for her hand and shaking it vigorously.

"You've got a deal, Maka," Sid revealed, admitting defeat. "But I expect those tusks in by tomorrow!"

Unable to contain herself, Maka squealed with joy as she reached over the counter and hugged him, "Thank you, Sid!"

Without hesitation, she grabbed the weapon off the counter and immediately gave it a test swing. The air parted to create a whistle sound as the blade sliced through empty space, giving the girl a satisfied tickle in her chest at just how amazing the weapon handled. Again thanking the merchant, she made a b-line for the door. Out in a flash, Sid watched her leave in a hurry, no doubt to take up a quest with the local liaison to test out her weapon against live prey. With a sigh, his eyes lingered on the closing door before eventually falling to the money before him. He shrugged.

"She's a sweet girl, an amazing hunter...if only she'd have known I'd have taken the ten thousand."

* * *

Jaggis fricken sucked.

To be fair, they weren't very strong. Technically speaking, they are some of the lowest level carnivores in a given environment. Resembling raptors, their strength lies in numbers and the larger females that accompany them, Jaggia. For most communities they're a nuisance and real danger, so every once in a while it falls on a hunter to come in and help level off the population. In such cases, it's the perfect opportunity to test new equipment and practice battle strategies, something that seemed of great importance to Maka, who had never held a hunting horn in her life.

The scythe was a cumbersome piece of crap. Unlike a Switch Axe, which utilized elegant, flowing motions to carve away at monsters, Hunting Horns had all the grace of a pile of Aptanoth dung. Its weight limited Maka to basically swinging it around and praying that she'd hit something before getting hit herself, something that didn't always happen, unfortunately. She growled in pain as a Jaggi swooped around from behind her, its whip-like tail slamming into her thigh before she could spin around to meet it. Immediately the hunter exacted her revenge on it, slamming the scythe into the creature's skull on a downward swing, killing it instantly. The only problem was, the blade now stuck firmly inside the beast's head, as other Jaggi swarmed around her.

"Dammit!" Maka screamed, putting her foot against the corpse's shoulder in order to get some leverage. She pulled with all her might, but no go.

Growling again with frustration, she took matters into her own hands. Like hell she'd die from a bunch of lizards, but if her weapon wasn't going to cooperate she'd do things herself. Ditching the still-stuck scythe, Maka reached behind her for the carving knife that all hunters carried and prepared to fight. Immediately the Jaggis obliged, lunging their tiny frames at her all at once in a bid to overwhelm her. They were slow though, and Maka had killed enough to know what to do. Bobbing in and out as each one landed before her, she took tiny steps back. Just enough space to get within range.

And when they did, she struck. Straight for the throat, the giant lizards hissed as she came and split them open one by one. Relentless, she made sure that any creature stupid enough to challenge her would get the same treatment. And after a half dozen fell before her, the rest of them got the picture. Tired, bloody, and sore, Maka panted as the remaining Jaggis scurried away into a hole somewhere. They didn't look back, and neither did Maka. She knew they were gone for good now, meaning now her frustrations could be taken out on that pile of junk behind her.

How could she have been such an idiot? An elder dragon...as if! Like anybody would have been dumb enough to _accidentally _send Sid a weapon that rare. He probably made it himself and passed it off as the real thing, it certainly fooled her after all. That scythe was nothing more than a pile of junk with piano keys on it. Come to think of it, they probably weren't even real! More than likely painted on after the fact, god, how could she be so stupid! Angrily, Maka spun around and found the scythe still there, sticking out of the Jaggi's remains. The piano keys peeked out, as if grinning at her.

"Even the weapon's laughing at me..." Maka ground out, her annoyance reaching its peak. "...Now I'm broke, without even a weapon to show for it!"

In her frustration, she tiredly kicked at the weapon before her. Having had the worst day ever, it gave her a little consolation to find out that the keys on the scythe were real after all. She nicked one of them with her foot, causing it to generate a pleasant noise that radiated throughout the wooded area where she stood. It was soothing; a single note that rose above the background noises of birds and insects, silencing everything around her except for that one little note. And once it ended, things were still quiet. Her heartbeat remained, but save for that, nothing.

"Well, I guess it's not totally useless," she admitted aloud. Feeling slightly at ease, she closed her eyes to calm herself further.

Absently, she kicked the scythe again. It was a different key this time, one that resonated with her on a much deeper level than the last. Maka didn't really know what that meant per say, but she felt it in her chest. It was almost as if the note was herself, boiled down into raw music. Thoughts, feelings, emotions, all of them summed up through this key. More than just air vibrations, but she couldn't quite place it. Regardless, Maka found herself swept up in the moment, and long after the scythe had silenced, she was still standing there, listening to something that no longer existed.

Goosebumps swept over her arms; suddenly it had gotten much colder. The sun was still high in the sky, at least the last time she checked, and there was no explanation for the drop in temperature. Still she didn't find it necessary to open her eyes however, not until it finally dawned on her that the background noises hadn't returned yet. It was still absurdly quiet and the lack of audio was slowly starting to become unnerving, so finally she opened her eyes. In a matter of seconds, the corners of her mouth turned upside down into a horrified gape.

The trees had suddenly disappeared. In fact, the entire floor beneath her had given way to absent nothingness. She was floating, but not really.

It was dark. Pitch black. Nothing around her on either side, above or below, front or behind. Maka found herself in a void of darkness that seemed endless, with her immediate reaction being that she had fallen asleep. It was dream-like, the way she moved her arm and a faint after-image trailed after her movements. That music must have gotten to her worse than she thought...and yet, she'd never had a dream this vivid before. It was like she could actually feel the chill of having no source of heat and her ears rung, as if the void had a real effect on her hearing.

Was this a nightmare? It certainly wasn't a dream. There was nothing pleasant about this, a sense of something looming just beyond the dark that got under her skin and rattled Maka like nothing else. She'd hunted all kinds of monsters, never being scared of any of them. And yet here she was, finding herself taking a few steps back from the unknown because of a _feeling._ There was no warrant for it, no signs of anything in the void besides herself, but Maka knew she wasn't alone. Call it instinct or simply intuition; whatever the cause, it didn't take long for fate to prove her right.

_"I could've had some giant, burly dude swinging me around. Instead I'm stuck with you?...Guess I should be grateful."_

Maka immediately crouched to the floor and went for her blade, "Whoever's there, I've got a knife!"

Or at least, she _did._ To Maka's horror, she quickly discovered that there no weapons in this nightmare. Now with no weapon, her options were extremely limited. There were was someone there with her and even though it was just a dream, she didn't like this feeling of helplessness. She'd fight in her own head if she had to, so getting back to her feet, Maka took up a defensive stance and waited for whoever it was to show _his _face, because she knew it was a man. The voice was distinct, velvety, like a demon ready to strike a deal with any would-be sucker.

_"I'm shaking in my boots," _the voice called back to her, much clearer than before. _"For a human, you've got some fire to you."_

Maybe it was a demon. The closer he came, the more it became apparent to Maka that this person certainly wasn't human. He revealed himself slowly from the darkness, only bits and pieces of him coming into light one at a time. First his feet, donned in black dress shoes. The legs, draped with pinstriped leggings, a matching torso and arms to match. Then finally, came the feature that struck Maka the most; his face wasn't _normal._ Eyes redder than blood, teeth sharp as razor blades lay neatly in two rows. It suited him, his tall frame, and the messy hair atop his head...

...The man's hair was white. Not an elderly shade, but like bleached snow. Something unnaturally beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Maka dropped her guard for a moment, awe struck by the man walking towards her. She quickly snapped back to her senses, but watched him closely as the distance between them quickly disappeared. Already he was right there within a foot of her, hands tucked inside his pockets as he politely waited for her to say something. But she wouldn't, or at the very least couldn't. She was too busy looking him over, trying to figure out if there was a point in time which she'd met this person in real life. No matter how hard she tried however, Maka couldn't place it. She' never met him before.

"_This isn't a dream,_" the man told her flatly, as if reading her mind. "_But we are inside your head right now...or my head, I'm not entirely sure myself._"

Maka raised her brow as she took a cautious step backwards, "What the hell's going on here? Answer me before I pound your skull in!"

"_Shit, you're violent. This'll be a pleasant experience..."_ the man trailed off. He reached for the back of his head and scratched.

"...It'll be a painful one if you don't start right now," Maka deadpanned, suddenly not that much afraid of him.

The man gave an exaggerated sigh. It became immediately apparent to Maka that whoever this person was, he wasn't a threat to her. If anything, she could probably take him with no trouble. That is, if he decided to turn on her, of course. For the moment, the bizarre man in white hair seemed to be compliant. The most he did was have one of his hands in the air. A passing second later brought with it the appearance of an antiquated red chair, draped in velvet. To Maka, the sight wasn't terribly surprising. She still had it in her head that this was all a dream, though even she began to doubt herself when the suited man took his seat and offered her one as well. Before she could even ask _what chair, _there was one already behind her.

Going with her better judgment, she refused the offer. "So who are you? And if this isn't a dream, tell me how we got here."

_"A demand and a loaded question...I'll start with the latter," _the man smirked, folding both his arms and legs. "_I go by Soul Eater. Nice to meet you."_

"Soul Eater," Maka repeated, slowly letting the words sink into her lips. "Is that supposed to scare me? What are you trying to get at with a fake name like that?"

The man continued, "_When I was still alive, the other monsters gave me that title. Names are nothing in the wild, but power is. Even humans recognize it, which is why I'm here talking to you._"

Maka's eyes widened. The little part in his sentence that stood out, the one she heard above all else, "Other monsters? Are you trying to tell me that you're not human?"

The man, _Soul Eater, _grinned in satisfaction. Immediately Maka became horrified; had she been attacked by something and made to fall asleep? Was it a Baggi? Had a Baggi come and used its sleep-venom on her when she wasn't looking? Or was it something else? Either way, Maka realized just how vulnerable she was in this place. If it was a monster doing this, she was at the creature's mercy before she woke up. The terror swept across her face, much more obvious than she should have let on. But instead of taking advantage of it, Soul Eater did the exact opposite. He soothed her.

"_I didn't attack you or anything, so just calm down."_ He let his head fall to the side lazily, "_To answer your other question, I'm the soul of the monster whose parts were used to forge this scythe."_

Upon hearing his words, Maka's tension lifted slightly. Filling in the void it left was awe and confusion. "...Are you serious? I mean, it sounds like complete bullshit to me. "

Giving a sigh, Soul Eater nodded. "_For any other monster it would be, but nature always bends the rules when there's an elder dragon involved. We get all the perks-_"

"-Did you say _elder dragon_?" Cutting in rudely, Maka waited with anticipation for his response. To her jubilation and overwhelming relief, the man nodded yes.

She jumped. As embarrassing as it was to do it in front of a complete stranger, Maka couldn't hold in her joy over the fact that she _hadn't_ been ripped off. That indeed, her money had been used for the real thing. An elder dragon weapon. The strongest of the strong. And not only that, but she had got a two for one deal; not just the weapon, but the fricken soul of the monster used to create it, whatever the hell that meant! All she knew was she'd been vindicated, and apparently it amused Soul Eater to see her in such a state. A lazy grin tugged low on his lips.

"Okay!" Maka breathed, still gushing over her new scythe. "Okay, you're like the spirit of the scythe now. So tell me what kind of monster you were before being hunted-!"

And just like that, she pulled herself together. That last part of her sentence was uncalled for, as even she knew that would be a touchy subject. Go ahead, talk about your death casually to a total stranger. Maka wanted to smack herself, especially when she saw Soul Eater's reaction. His grin disappeared, shoulders slunk, the man's entire demeanor changing right before her eyes. It killed her to see him like that, especially knowing that she was the cause for it. The space became silent between them for a few minutes, with Maka not knowing what to say to cheer him up.

"_I wasn't killed by a hunter, so don't feel bad._" Closing his eyes, Soul Eater shrugged off his dismay. "_Another monster off'd me in a fight. Humans came by afterwards and picked off my remains._"

"They scavenged you...like vultures. I'm so sorry," Maka replied quietly, looking down in shame at being in the same category as the people who did this. It had to have been hunters.

The man became silent once more, but after a moment to collect himself he kicked his dismay for good. _"I don't hate humans, but I want the bastard who killed me to suffer._"

"...Speaking of which, what kind of monster could kill an elder dragon? Was it another dragon?" Despite being a sound conclusion, Soul Eater shook his head no.

"_It was a fanged wyvern, the only other monster I know that can control the same red lightning as I can. With his strength, he'd mine as well be an elder dragon."_

Red lightning? The power to control lightning wasn't unheard of among monsters, in fact, colored lightning was common among the stronger species. But never had Maka heard of a monster being able to control that particular hue of energy before, certainly not the two that Soul Eater were implying. Despite herself, she tried to think of all the pages of monster text she'd studied long ago, in an effort to help him figure out the name of the monster that'd killed him. Fanged wyverns, however, were a fairly new species; they were like hybrids of mammals and dragons, terrestrial creatures that were very territorial. She'd heard of several species using combustive gas, snowballs, even paralyzing toxins, but lightning? She was drawing a complete blank.

Meanwhile, Soul Eater reminisced to himself, "_You humans are fickle as hell. One minute you're calling me the King of Disaster, next think you know, I'm up to my dead body in scheming hunters. Where's the respect?_"

"Wait a minute," Maka stopped, cocking her head to the side suspiciously. "You're telling me that people called you the King of Disaster, as in, that was your title before you died...am I right?"

"_Pretty much, yeah._" He looked up at her and smiled, "_You know for someone who strikes me as an intelligent individual, you sure do repeat things a lot. You're like one of those talking birds._"

The woman huffed, but shook her head and continued, "But there's no way! If that was the case, you'd have to be a Fatalis! And not just any Fatalis, but a subspecies, a-!"

"-_White._" Soul Eater stood up and walked towards her, closing the gap between the two of them. He brandished his hair and showed it to her. "_I'm a White Fatalis._"

Wide eyed and dumbstruck, Maka was left paralyzed. She couldn't move of her own accord, meaning she couldn't oblige when he ordered her to feel his hair. He wanted to prove to her it was real, that it truly was the mane of a Fatalis. When Maka wouldn't raise her hands to touch him, he did the work for her. Grabbing the woman's hand, he pulled it to his scalp and ran her fingers through it himself. Despite being silent, Maka could feel the soft, luxuriousness all too clearly. It was more like fur than hair and it was at this point where she considered believing his story. But she couldn't.

Of the elder dragons, a Fatalis is the pinnacle. The apex predator. The perfect dragon. But even among the Fatalis, there are levels; black, then crimson, and finally, the white subspecies. They were like gods, their very presence able to change the weather itself. That's where the name came from; King of Disaster, able to destroy anything in their wake. It's been said that all dragons are descended from the White Fatalis, that the species is so ancient and the individual fatali so old, even other elder dragons bow before them. They flee for their lives when a Fatalis draws near.

So this man...was he the real deal? A god? A monster? Something else? She couldn't say anything, no matter how hard she tried. The words piled in the back of her throat, unable to escape in the face of Soul Eater's presence. Her fingers still found themselves in his hair, feeling the soft mane that once belonged to a proud dragon. She balled the white hair in her hand and knew right then and there he was telling the truth. This wasn't a dream, Soul Eater was real. And the way he smirked at just how silent she was before him, Maka knew that he was enjoying himself. He was okay.

"...What do you want with me?" It was another loaded question, one she prayed he would answer. Immediately he did, but it wasn't one she was expecting.

"_Nothing right now,_" Soul Eater replied, nudging his head away from her. She obliged by retracting her hand quickly. "_I'm stuck in this scythe. You're my hunter. It's as simple as that._"

Maka squirmed, thinking there was a catch. "You don't want to like...take over my body or something? Or kill the people who scavenged you? I don't know, it seems like something a spirit might do..."

"_The hell do you think I am? A poltergeist?" _Soul Eater raised a brow. "_I'm a dead dragon. Not to say I'm a nice person, but you're in charge right now. I'd rather not go back on a store shelf, so how about I give you a reason to keep me?"_

With a raised brow, he held out his hand for her to take. Immediately Maka hesitated, not sure if she should throw her trust out into the open. He might do something, pull a stunt that she'd pay the price for later. The smart thing to do would be to refuse and run, but where would she go? According to him, they were stuck inside her head. Maka had no way of knowing how to get out even if she wanted to, and to be completely honest she didn't. This man, Soul Eater, really was like a demon; the suit, the handshake, everything about this scene screamed of signing her life away.

And even knowing all that, she still threw her hand out. Despite all the hesitation and fear, her courage and curiosity won out in the end. The moment their fingers touched and they shook on it, Maka knew that there was no going back. Whatever it was he planned on showing her, she was now stuck with him. The grin on his face was intimidating, but not scary; the air around him powerful, but not overwhelming. If there was a person to put some faith in it would be this man and if he really did plan on betraying her in the end, well then she'd just pound him like she said she would.

_"Let's have some fun,"_ he chuckled darkly.

* * *

A hunting horn completely in sync with its wielder was like watching a one-person symphony.

The truly gifted 'players' were able to fight monsters and create music at the same time. Doing damage to the chords of their own creation, they could create literal sonnets as blood and gore swept across the battlefield. All this as the horn itself augmented the wielders fighting ability through mysterious notes, with each weapon having a unique set of frequencies all their own. Depending on the musical number and amount of time per piece, any number of effects could be utilized it battle. Most of the time they were small, like minimal increases in strength and perception.

But this. To have this feeling of walking on air...Maka'd never experienced anything like it. She danced along the ground as Jaggis assaulted her on all sides, their sluggish movements being no match for the speed of her footwork. This time her blade-work matched the elegance of her movements, with the scythe responding to every twitch, every subtle movement of her fingers. She twirled along the ground, in and out of oncoming monsters, cart wheeling with weapon it tow. Then came the shrills and spouting blood of falling bodies. It was a morbidly beautiful sight for any hunter.

All this as the piano-scythe played. On its own, with no input from her whatsoever. It played complex pieces that wafted sweetly to her ears, relaxing all the muscles in her body to a point that no tension or doubt resided in them. Complete clarity and focus kept the woman's body limber, every twitch reflex being pushed to their utmost limits in a way that pressed the very boundaries of what a hunter could accomplish. Raw strength was not her forte to begin with, Maka was known for quick movements and intelligence. But now her specialties were near superhuman in their levels, as even her ability to read the opponents movements were so far above the rest. The Jaggis looked like they were caught in slow motion, unable to put up any sort of fight.

To any regular person watching the scene play out from afar, they would've watched Maka dash across the forest clearing like lightning. Dozens of lizards fell before the blur of metal, with none of them able to land a single blow before falling before the deadly mix of steel and music. Despite being pleasant to Maka, the notes themselves were haunting, suitably complimenting the death and destruction before the huntress as she finally ceased her slaughter. By the time she stayed still long enough to examiner her handiwork, they were all dead. Almost a hundred Jaggis slain in mere minutes.

"_Heads up, pig-tails," _a voice called out to her from the scythe. "_You messed with the little ones, now it's time to mess with daddy."_

She could see it come out from behind the trees. A Jaggi she had seen many times before, back when she was just starting out as a hunter. It was the first true test for would-be adventurers, an alpha male of the lizard herd; a Great Jaggi. Unlike the little ones, this was stood four times larger. The tail was thick as a tree stump and just as hardly, as a large frill of skin adorned the creature's head like a lion mane. They were aggressive but quite stupid, meaning that at this point in her career these things were nothing more than target practice.

This particular Great Jaggi wasted no time in jumping out from the brush and getting on with its attack. Although easily handled, they could still pack a punch with their body charges and claw-bearing lunges. Maka waited patiently as the thing came at her full charge, its mouth snapping open and shut in an angry uproar. Within several feet of its prey, the beast made its move by jumping into the air, ready to pounce. It was at this point Maka made the appropriate counter-measure; she stepped back with inhuman precision, barely giving herself enough room to dodge.

When the beast landed, she was right there waiting for it. With fierce eyes, the woman roared as she reared her scythe up. Spinning it around in her hands, the shaft came back around to meet with the Jaggi in its throat. With a roaring sputter it jumped back, its ability to vocalize severely hindered. Maka did this on purpose; if it wasn't taken care of quickly, the beast would call in for reinforcements. By cutting off its backup, she could focus all her attention on fighting the beast one-on-one. In this case though it was two-against-one, since she still had Soul Eater giving her support.

"You're the one who wants to prove himself," she spoke tersely, her attention completely on the writhing beast in front of her. "Show me what you've got, Soul Eater."

Almost like the scythe itself was chuckling, a few keys went off in a row; as if someone ran a phantom hand along them. "_Hold onto your ass, hunter!"_

Maka took her stance. The Great Jaggi recovered. Everyone in this concert of three played their parts to the teeth, most of all the fallen dragon turned pianist. From the confines of a spot so dark that no light could breach it, he stood there by his lonesome. Hands inside his pockets, he hung his head low as a demonic grin pulled it towards the ground. By his will, the scythe started to play on its own. The melody this time wasn't meant to increase the hunter's abilities; it was meant to destroy the opponent, reduce it to nothing more than a sniveling lizard ripe for the killing.

The haunting chords started off melodic. Creepy, delicate, like a spider walking across her web. This was the beginning, the portion in which Maka discovered her role in the concert. She started off into a walk without thinking, her movements erratic. Her shoulders swung in whichever direction they liked, as if she were a puppet being pulled along by a marionette. In her mind she didn't question it, again putting blind faith in Soul Eater as he masterminded the fight from a safe spot. Meanwhile the Jaggi took back up its offense, breaking off into a mad dash towards her.

Distance closing between them quickly, Soul Eater waited for the perfect moment. The music was fading quickly, the notes on his keyboard left almost completely untouched. But just as the Jaggi reached a certain threshold, that's when the main event started. When the Great Jaggi brought his foot down, that's when the keys suddenly came back with a roar. Thunderous crashes rang out and bounced off all the trees, created an amplified sound that overwhelmed every living thing in the clearing. Bugs fell from the sky. Birds ceased chirping. The Jaggi became stunned.

And Maka roared to life. As if the marionette had released her strings, she threw her head up; eyes burning and a dark sneer marring her face, Maka sprang to finish the show. Music fueled her every movement; like a ballroom dancer, the woman kissed the earth with her feet. Her heels never touched ground, instead her body almost became airborne, gliding along the dragon that supported her once did. Prey in sight and blood pumping, she didn't let up. Every ounce of adrenaline and excitement poured through her up until the final moment, when she came to the Great Jaggi head on.

She slid around it. Went up underneath it. Popped back up the other side, scythe swinging behind her gracefully. It stuck in. The beast lurched.

One moment the Jaggi had its head and the next it didn't. Maka didn't have the opportunity to watch the body behind her fall, following after its upper half. She was too busy holding herself up with the scythe, sweat pouring from every pore in her body. She panted as if never having breathed air before, as suddenly all the work she'd done till now hit her like a thousand bricks. Exhausted, thrilled, unable to speak, Maka just stood there. All senses failed, save for the ability to think. And in the forefront of her thoughts, he was there. Sitting down in that velvety red chair, crossing his arms and legs like he had before. On his face there rested a confident smirk, as if to silently tell her she was welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Soul Eater or the Monster Hunter franchise

* * *

**The Queen of Disaster**

**by. **Lacrow

* * *

**Have you seen this monster before?**

* * *

"In all my years of research, I've never heard of such a creature," Professor Stein dropped the ball, casually flipping through one of his encyclopedias.

The Hunter's Guild wasn't just a bunch of guys with swords running around chopping monster's heads off. It was literally the governing body of the main continent, Minegarde, and a very profitable business as well. It was established long ago in order to keep peace within civilization by keeping giant creatures at bay, while at the same time learning everything there was to know about them in order to further benefit mankind. In that regard, the Guild always kept an army of researchers and professors at their disposal, so as to better prepare themselves for new natural threats.

Of them, Professor Franken Stein was one of the chiefs. His brain was an amalgamation of all things monster related, that and anything morbid. World renowned for his studies on monster kinetics and the interaction of hunters with said beasts, he was the go-to man for situations such as the one Maka faced at the moment. The best part was, she knew he'd keep their consultation a secret; not because of some sort of Hippocratic oath, heavens no. Rather, it was because he'd want to keep such an amazing discovery to himself. The living soul of an elder dragon...what a find!

Though it's not like the world didn't already know about her and Soul Eater. How could she have kept it a secret all these months? Hell, the very first week she'd had him, it boiled down to her bragging to Sid that he'd made the worst deal of his life. And of course when he didn't believe her, she made the dead dragon in her scythe play a melody for him. The shop keep then ran out of his own store, not having expected the keyboard to start moving on its own. It'd taken her a whole day to convince him it wasn't a ghost; just Soul Eater, her new partner in crime.

From then on the two were inseparable. What's more, their names spread quickly up the Guild ranks. It wasn't long before Maka's missions became more involved, meaning stronger monsters and more income to spend on things like weapons, a better place to live, and even a nice little stand for the scythe that'd made it all possible. Speaking of whom, she hadn't forgotten about Soul Eater's dilemma. Even though he never mentioned it after their first meeting, Maka was determined to avenge her new friend's death. Which is why she'd come to Stein, to figure out what creature could control red lightning. Though he wasn't nearly the help she thought he'd be; apparently this quest wouldn't be an easy one.

"...Nothing at all, sir?" she prodded wearily, afraid that she'd come all this way to the mainland for nothing. "But you're a genius in your field! You must know of a monster that can control lightning!"

Stein leaned back in his chair. In his mouth rested a cigarette, still burning bright. "The problem isn't finding a monster with lightning; it's finding one that glows red like Soul Eater describes."

"I already told you everything I know. The monster is wolf-like, controls red lightning, and is a fanged wyvern." Her leg shaking, Maka became increasingly impatient.

"There _is _a monster that matches two of the three descriptions," the professor revealed. He immediately flipped open one of his books and slid it her way.

Maka reached for the thing and clamored to read its contents. To her amazement, the intimidating profile of a monster stared back at her. Its forehead ended in a horn-like structure made of bone plating, yellow in color like the rest that adorned its whole body. With the form of a wolf, hair sprouted symmetrically in certain places, while the rest of it had skin like a typical wyvern. Just as she had been taught, the beast really was a cross between mammal and dragon. If there was going to be any match with Soul Eater's description, it was going to be this one.

Professor Stein, however, immediately popped her bubble. "It controls lightning through the aid of thunderbugs, but there is no known variant with that color scheme."

Maka looked up at him and frowned, but still kept at it. "So it's not an exact match, big deal. It's our closest lead so far, so tell me everything you know about it."

"Zinogre is the beast's name," Stein replied, his glasses gleaming white. "As far as I know it hunts in mild climates, but that wouldn't add up considering the White Fatalis resides in colder areas."

A fact Maka knew all too well, considering she had the best source of information there was regarding elder dragons. According to both Soul Eater and the limited facts available to the Guild, his kind were more comfortable at the peaks of towers and mountains. They were solitary, and liked to live in places where they could be alone from both hunters and other creatures. They would travel great distances to find their meals, and then return to their cold, lonely nests for extended periods of time. They would do this their entire lives, or until somebody ruined their peace.

To be so hardy as to scale a mountain, a creature must have considerable bulk and tolerance to freezing weather. Ergo, the monster they were tracking down must spend most of its life in tundra-like areas of the globe. This is the main reason why, for the past few months, Maka had specifically been taking missions that required her to travel to snowier areas. Most of them were just gathering missions; rare berries or minerals that took long periods of time to find, meaning she could roam around freely and scope out the wildlife without having to worry about time restraints.

"I'm well aware that you aim to help this curiosity of yours," Stein smiled, referring of course to Soul Eater. "I find it refreshing. It's about high time the Guild gets on board with what you're doing."

Maka raised a brow. The thing about Professor Stein was he had his own agenda. Not to say that was a bad thing, but it was slightly off putting. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

He shrugged, "It means that we should start finding symbiosis with nature instead of trying to control it all the time. Brute force is effective, but not for everything."

"Oh, right..." Maka trailed off. She looked out the window of Stein's office, before turning back to him. "...Is that why you've requested to accompany my party?"

The man with gray hair in his thirties gave a smirk. Likewise, Maka smiled back. She knew all too well of Professor Stein's reputation as a 'hands on' researcher, which is why it hadn't surprised her when she discovered he wanted in on the next big mission. Even though this was the first time they'd met face-to-face, the two of them had maintained communication in the previous weeks. Mostly their conversations revolved around Soul Eater and how best to help him. Both had agreed that finding the monster that'd killed him would be both thrilling and rewarding for everyone involved.

But again, Maka that it was a double-edged sword. While Stein may have wanted to help legitimately help her out, it was obvious that the scholar in him wanted to see for himself what kind of creature could kill an elder dragon. And, if the creature could be killed by a hunter, what kind of weapons could be forged from it in order to better fend off future monster attacks. A rather narrow viewpoint of things, but that's how the researchers were. Maka knew it was for the safety of innocent people and was fine with being tugged along, so long as it benefited Soul Eater.

"Oh, by the way, the Guild has approved our bid for the mission," Stein remembered, slamming a fist into his open palm. "My presence on the team makes three."

Maka nodded, "Right, you, me, and Black Star. He's one of hunters stationed in the village with me, I've known him longer than I'd like to admit. Do you know what the target monster is?

The professor looked up towards the ceiling and scratched the gruff on his chin, "I didn't get to look at the mission myself, but Black Star was the one who handled it. I believe it was a Jade Barroth?"

"A brute wyvern, huh? That'll be interesting; I haven't hunted one of those before..." Maka trailed off into a mumble, concerned about the level of difficulty with this particular mission. It wasn't going to be an easy one.

Brute Wyvern is a classification reserved for large, dinosaur-like creatures with vestigial arms and giant builds. Most of them prey only on bugs and vegetation, but there a few that actively hunt live prey. Thankfully, Barroth's were inclined to the former, meaning that they wouldn't be a problem abandoning in case things got out of hand. However, being a subspecies of the main family, _Jade Barroth's_ were typically stronger than their Savannah-dwelling cousins. They had to be, since their tundra-like ecosystem was harsh and unforgiving.

The mission would take weeks to complete, with most of that time simply traveling back and forth between base camp and the hunting grounds where they would, hopefully, find their target. That would give both her and Professor Stein enough time to scope out the wildlife and make proper estimations about where to look for Zinogre next. While they were doing that, Black Star would do the actual tracking and cornering of the Jade Barroth, since he neither cared about nor had the patience to do research. His skills were better suited for killing things.

"I'll make the necessary preparations. In the meantime, you head back to the village and load up on supplies," Stein instructed, tossing his cigarette out before reaching to take her hand.

"Will do professor," Maka shot back. She obliged by shaking his hand, before adding, "With the four of us though, I don't think we'll run into any problems on this mission."

By four, she was of course including Soul Eater.

* * *

"_So this Black Star character...is that his actual name, or what?_" Floating upside down, the semi-transparent man occupied himself by wafting through the air on a whim.

Maka stopped loading her backpack for a moment, in order to seriously give it some thought. "...You know what, I don't really know. I mean, I never questioned it."

"_Well that'd be a pretty stupid name for a human,_" he snorted. Spinning upright, his feet were completely silent as he landed on the floor.

"As if Soul Eater is any better," Maka parried, smirking at the mirror next to her and, likewise, the man's face.

But instead of being offended, he simply grinned. "_For a dragon, I'd say that's a pretty bitchin' name._"

The hunter shook her head in mock annoyance. She turned her attention back to the giant backpack in front of her, trying to figure out what to bring on their expedition to the north. Meanwhile, left to his own devices, Soul Eater wandered around the decently sized shack they now lived in. It'd been a bitch trying to find one that wasn't already occupied, he recalled. In the end, Maka had broken down and paid to have one built, since the last one she'd lived in was nothing more than a bed with a roof over her head. This new one was homey, big enough to take a few steps in anyway.

And on the subject of Black Star, that was the first and last time Soul Eater had seen him. From the safety of the scythe, he'd watched as the blue-haired hunter came in and did all the dirty work of carrying supplies. The guy was strong, he'd give him that no doubt; he never thought humans could carry around tree trunks like they were play things. But even so, it was still Maka who bossed him around, which was amazing. She would yell at him while hammering items into place and the oaf would growl back at her, but Soul Eater knew he was whipped.

Now that he'd thought about it, they'd been friends for a long time. Isn't that what she'd said? Something about growing up together. Humans, so weird, sticking with people their whole lives. The concept was foreign to him, since he spent all his time as a dragon away from all other forms of life. But even so, the thought of Black Star and Maka, two humans, a boy and a girl, knowing each other for that long, unexpectedly got under his skin. Soul Eater stopped his meaningless walk around the place and turned towards Maka, still occupied with her packing.

And just like that, he reverted back into a dragon; protective, _needy. _"_You're my hunter, right?"_

"Mhm," Maka replied absently, not taking her eyes off the bag. Soul Eater's face twisted, unsatisfied with her answer.

"_We don't need anybody else, right? I mean, you've got me. We killed a Royal Ludroth by ourselves, so why do we need Stein or Black Star?"_

Maka lifted her head up to casually explain it to him that, for one thing, a Jade Barroth was a much bigger deal than any sort of Ludroth. But before the words could make it past her lips, she saw his face. Not angry, per say, though almost sort of hurt. Jealous. She wanted to stare and take it all in, but the scene was too adorable. If she looked at him any longer, she'd burst into laughter and possibly make her partner even angrier. No, she didn't want that. However, it wasn't out of the question to prod him a little more, see how far she could push him. It was a cruel joke, really.

But that's what made it so perfect. "Aw, is my little dragon worried about Black Star having a crush on me?"

"_...What_?" Soul Eater replied, eyes wide as saucers. "_You never told me he liked you. You just said that he was a friend!_"

"He is a friend. A very good, old friend. Who happens to have huge muscles..." Maka teased, trying her damnedest not to laugh outright.

It was priceless, the look on her partner's face. Somewhere between dumbstruck and horrified, the fair headed ghost of a dragon stood in complete silence. His mouth remained open, and on more than one occasion he tried to say something, but he always ended up catching himself before saying something he'd regret. Maka loved it, though knew not to push him too much. It'd be cruel and besides, it looked like Soul Eater'd reached his limit. Despite appearing the suave man in black, deep down he was still an animal; a slave to his loyalty like any would be.

She brushed her hair out of the way as she sighed, "Oh please, like I'd ever have feelings for _Black Star. _The boy's a total meat-head."

Soul Eater stared hard at Maka for a moment. It was like he was trying to gauge her sincerity, "_You two look like you make a pretty good team_."

"Yeah well, I've got you." Smiling, the hunter dropped everything and put his mind to rest. "Just because I have friends, doesn't mean anyone could take your place."

Almost immediately, the apparition of a man turned away from her and began grumbling under his breath. He wasn't mad. Maka could tell that immediately, in fact, the tiniest hint of red splashed across the furthest corners of his cheeks. She giggled to herself, quite content that she could get such a reaction out of him so soon in their partnership. As far as dead people go, he was pretty okay. And being the apparition of a monster, something she swore she'd kill without hesitation, his presence there was grounding for her. Soul Eater was different, and she liked that.

Likewise, for a human, Maka could've been worse. At least, that's what the red-faced man thought to himself as she turned back around to actually get some work done. Despite his pride, Soul Eater bit his tongue whenever in her company. Granted he didn't hate humans, that'd already been established, but it's not like he was fond of them to start with. Maka thought was an exception; from the moment the two of them had killed those Jaggis in the forest, he knew she wasn't like other hunters. Killer instinct was one thing, but combining that with womanly charm was...weird.

It worked for her though. He liked that about her. Again, it could be worse. And as he stared at her over his shoulder, after having gathered the courage to ignore the tiniest red in his cheeks, Soul Eater decided that if there was any human in this world that he'd have swinging him around, it'd be her. He smirked at the nonchalant look on Maka's face as she finished packing the fifty pounds worth of stuff and casually swung the pack over her shoulder. Now that preparations were done, she would need proper armor for the journey. He had just the set in mind.

"_It's gonna be cold, more so than usual_." Soul Eater turned back around as Maka swung to face him, trying not to let her see his face. "_Definitely wear Barioth armor for this trip._"

Almost like someone had died in front of her, the young hunter's face contorted into mixed shock and horror, "_What?_ Are you kidding me? Why would I wear that!"

"_You have killed a Barioth before, right? The pseudo-wyvern of the north? Their armor is perfect for cold weather,_" the man in black replied with an unseen grin.

"Of course I have, but that's not the point!" Maka shouted back desperately, her face growing slightly red. "It's designed for combat, and...and-!"

Soul Eater turned around, the smile on his face only adding insult on top of insult, "-_And that's exactly why you should wear it, right_?"

Maka gave a desperate sort of growl. She did not want to wear that armor, for any reason, least of all because Soul Eater wanted to see her in it. Either some sick joke on his part or simply because dragons didn't know the first thing about _embarrassment,_ Maka wasn't going to buy into it...at first. She was fully prepared to simply drop the subject and simply buy something from Sid on the trip out, but before she could reach around to grab her stuff again, Soul Eater was reeling her back in with that stupid wisdom that she hated him for having.

"_We both know it'll keep you warm. Besides, it's perfect for your fighting style_." With a waning smirk, he did his best to talk her down.

And though she gave a huff at first, slowly but surely Maka came around to his point of view. "...I guess you're right, Soul Eater."

"_Good,_" the apparition reassured her...before ruining it with, "_Because you're the only woman I know with the ass for it._"

It took a second to process, though immediately Soul Eater knew what was to come. First the red in Maka's cheeks turned a hue that almost looked purple, followed by the slightest twitch of a vein on her forehead. He didn't mind when a crushing fist curled at her side, nor when it came to meet his face at breakneck speed. It didn't hurt, he was already dead, which is why he couldn't stop snickering as he disappeared into thin air, leaving his hunter there to stand by herself and seethe in unbridled fury and embarrassment. That _idiot._

They ended up leaving the next day. Even twenty-four hours later, as she walked out, the other villagers swore they'd never seen her face so red.

* * *

**A.N.**

Hey, sorry for the delay. I've got a lot on my plate and now that Soul Eater is ending it's getting really hard to motivate myself to write for it. I think once this story is over and Eventide (eventually) finishes, that'll be it from me. In the meantime though, this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but due to time and my laziness I ended up splitting it in half so I could at least present you folks with something palpable till I finish. Please excuse the somewhat abrupt ending, because it'll wind up flowing right into the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Soul Eater or the Monster Hunter Franchise

* * *

**The Queen of Disaster**

* * *

**Deviljho...?**

* * *

"Damn, Maka. You trying to bag a man, or do you just really love the cold?" Arms held behind his head, the blue-haired hunter snickered obnoxiously in her direction.

Flashing a look that could kill a wyvern, Maka made her scorn quite clear to Black Star with a single muttered command;_ shut the fuck up._ Immediately he got the message and with a soured expression he dropped the subject completely, though he still stared at her through the corner of his eye. Thankfully, Professor Stein was up front, leading them back from a minor expedition around the compound. Not that Maka suspected he'd be looking at her the way Black Star was, it's just that the feeling on eyes on her made the young hunter uneasy...and incredibly self-conscious.

It'd been this way since they arrived in the frigid north. She _knew _it was going to be like this, and still she listened to Soul Eater!

Barioth armor was infamous for being quite contradictory. Coming from a tundra-based wyvern, one would assume that clothing made from it would be thick and completely cover the body. Actually, because a wyvern's body temperature is much higher than a human's already, and Barioths need to stay even warmer due to icy weather, hunters ran the very real risk of overheating during battle. Therefore it was decided that non-critical parts of the body would be left exposed to vent body-heat, leaving the upper arms, legs, and sternum exposed to mitigate body temperature.

Basically, it was referred to as the "Winter Bikini." To be fair, it looked nothing like swimwear. To pig-headed men though, it was somehow no better than walking around butt naked. And Maka damned her partners name again and again each time she looked over to see Black Star still sneaking peaks at her. He wasn't staring because he was interested, she knew that much. It was more like awe; as in, why on earth would she be wearing something like _that?_ Who could have talked her into wearing some skimpy clothing on the middle of a mission?

And it _wasn't _skimpy, Maka growled to reassure herself. It was just armor, very good armor actually, that very few hunters had the chance to wear considering just how fast and ferocious a Barioth can be. Soul Eater recommended it, so it must be appropriate...right? That comment he'd made before they left though, it still lingered in the back of her mind. Though she tried to forget about it completely, nothing Maka did could shake the thought of him looking at her like _that._ And the bastard was so quiet now...he hadn't said a peep since they'd arrived yesterday in the early morning.

"Well, you kick ass with that scythe anyway, so I guess having skimpy clothing works better for you," Black Star conceded, looking straight ahead.

"Excuse me-?" Maka started to say more, but quickly realized that this was the best she was going to get from him. She conceded as well. "-At least we're on the same page."

Flashing a stupid grin her way, the hunter clad in azure-armor suddenly grew excited. "Maybe I'll get to see that elder dragon of yours, Soul Eater?"

"Yeah, maybe..." she sighed in reply. Her concerns only re-affirmed, Maka's worry became noticeable to Black Star, whose grin died slightly.

He knew right away she needed cheering up, "You're so lucky to have a partner like that. I mean, if I didn't have Tsubaki, I might actually be slightly jealous of you!"

Maka looked up to find her friend smiling genuinely at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back. Especially when she knew that Tsubaki wasn't anything like Soul Eater; it was just the name of his Long Sword, one he had forged from a shadowy wyvern she'd never seen before. Maka knew he was trying to lighten the mood and appreciated it, which is why she held her head up a little higher and continued the trudge through slush and ice without thinking about it further. Besides she knew that Soul Eater, despite his silence, was still watching over all of them from the safety of his scythe, in case the Jade Barroth they were hunting for suddenly decided to show its face at the worse possible moment.

Having Black Star around was comfort too, because quite frankly she didn't know just how well Professor Stein could sync with them in battle. Of all the hunters in Minegarde, the blue-haired idiot was actually one of the strongest; In terms of raw power, he could take on monsters many times his own size without breaking a sweat. His armor reflected this, immaculate blue samurai gear forged from the dead body of an Azure Rathalos, lord of the skies. For any other hunter, fighting one would have been a death sentence. For Black Star, it was an afternoon.

Not to undersell their other party member, Stein was a master of the Switch Axe, Maka's former choice of weapon. Specifically, the weapon utilized advanced technology to shift between three _modes_ in the heat of battle, providing optimal flexibility and strength in combat; Great Axe, Greatsword, and Chainsaw. Stein specialized in the latter two, his preference being to hack monsters to pieces with the Greatsword before finishing them off in a bloody whirlwind of buzz saw induced carnage. His nickname, the Mad Professor, was certainly well deserved among the Guild.

"Not to interrupt you two, but I believe we've run into a snag."

Stopping in his tracks, the point-man of the group held his arm out to stop the others. Likewise, Maka and Black Star came to a halt at his command, confusion obvious across both their faces. Uncharacteristically, Professor Stein showed something other than complete indifference; uncertainty, and the resulting air of worry began to cloud around him. It was obvious in the way he threw his head left and right, unsure of which way he was going, or maybe more specifically where something might be coming from. The scene was off-putting, and for a moment everyone was silent.

Then Black Star went for it, "Hey, what's with you? Did we get lost or something?"

"No," Stein muttered quietly, his eyes narrowed. "Something's just struck me as odd, is all."

"...Professor?" Suddenly feeling uneasy, Maka reached behind her for the comforting steel of her scythe.

As she tightened her grip, Stein let out a stressful sigh. "Jade Barroths are herbivores, or am I mistaken, Black Star?"

Even more confused at this point, Black Star looked to Maka for advice. She looked back at him and, with a deadpanned look of disbelief, told him the obvious with a silent shake of her head. He then replied _no_ to Stein, but not before scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. The professor mimicked him, though clearly he was thinking. And whatever it was Stein had in mind, it wasn't holding well for Maka. She knew something was up, and couldn't help but to squeeze her scythe even tighter. She hoped that Soul Eater was there for support.

"We haven't seen a single fauna since we left the hunting grounds," the professor revealed, quietly reaching for his Switch Axe. "Not even a carcass."

Suddenly, a light turned on in Maka's head. It seemed the same was true for Black Star, as both crouched a little lower. "Are you saying there's another predator here?"

"I'm saying I wouldn't be surprised if our mark is already dead. Take a look at all the vegetation in the area." Clearly on edge, Stein took the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it in the snow.

Following directions, the huntress clad in white looked around her and immediately realized what was wrong with this picture. For a monster some thirty meters long to live exclusively on plants, there should be very little vegetation, or at the very least obvious signs of feeding. There was none of that, in fact, there was an over abundance of trees that she hadn't really noticed before. Shrubbery and greens lined the outermost edges of the field, and it was at that moment Maka realized they were dealing with something far worse than a Jade Barroth.

"Stop being all coy and tell us what we're dealing with! Is it a Barioth?" Black Star held his sword close to him, his agitation slowly building.

Professor Stein scoffed, "No, I wouldn't be worried if it was something that minor. I believe what we're dealing with is a wandering predator. Large. Violent."

"...A Brachydios?" Maka swallowed a lump as it built in the back of her throat; being a brute wyvern with no habitat of their own, Brachydios' were a serious threat.

"I see no evidence of the explosive substance they use to kill their prey," the researcher deadpanned, suddenly gabbing his axe with haste. "This is obviously the work of a Deviljho."

As if on cue, the snowy clearing suddenly erupted in a drowning sound of pure chaos. Maka and Black Star both threw their heads around to find the source of the horrible screeching, but there was no single source. It came in all directions, bounced off the trees, and disoriented the two hunters like nothing they'd ever experienced before. Meanwhile, Professor Stein just stood there, eyeing the complete area in front of him. Ever vigilant, it was he who caught the first glimpse of the creature. A flick of a tail, saw-like, some fifteen meters long.

"_Maka," _a familiar voice suddenly whispered. His tone was hurried, afraid. "_I can see it! This is bad!"_

Soul alerted her to it, but even so the hunter wasn't prepared for what stood in the mist beyond the snow. She gaped in horror as the rest of the creature slowly emerged from beyond the haze of ice and wind, as if suddenly turning visible right before them. It was an enormous creature, just like the textbooks stated. With studs of bone lining its entire skin, the beast stood thirty feet tall, by and far the tallest monster Maka had ever seen. Its tail was nearly half that. Giant teeth haphazardly erupted from out of its mouth, with two or three replacements behind them should they fall off into their next prey.

They were symbols of gluttony and rage, wielding insatiable stomachs that forced them to hunt and devour any living thing in an environment. The Guild kept tabs on their population, making sure to hunt them to near extinction because, otherwise, they would eradicate an entire species. Deviljho would invade other monsters territories, eating anything that crosses their path before moving onto the next. Their violent natures were legendary and it was for this reason that the party of three knew immediately to turn tail and run; they needed to regroup.

Even still, they couldn't help but to scream out the obvious, "**Run!**"

Heart racing, lungs already full to bursting, Maka and Stein turned tail. The duo weren't cowards, simply realists; no three-man team could take a legendary demon head on. Their weapons clanking against horribly underwhelming armor as they scrambled for cover, not even taking the time to look back and notice that they were one person short. Simply the roars of the Deviljho were enough to make them duck behind some brush. Both hunters pressed their backs against the wall to catch their breath, only then realizing that Black Star was not among them.

"Wha-!" Maka breathed, throwing her head in every direction. "Where'd that idiot run off to?"

"..._I don't think he ever left," _Soul revealed. The shaft of his scythe grew warm, as if trying to warn her.

Stomach churning, Maka stuck her neck out to survey the area. Immediately she regretted it as a booming roar met her halfway, its intensity so great that she nearly lost sight of the damned idiot standing out in a snowy field. His back was to her and he made no indication of turning away, instead opting to face the monster head on. She screamed at Black Star to get out of there, but he wouldn't listen. Instead, the bastard calmly reached for his long sword and got into a fighting stance; he held the blade above him, his feet stuck solidly into an L-shape.

She screamed in anger. This idiot wasn't listening to her! Never mind the fact he was putting himself in danger, now he was just ignoring her and _that_ was inexcusable in itself. Even so, she couldn't let him out there by himself. Soul had the same idea; the scythe continued to grow hotter, like all of Maka's frustration was rubbing off on him. With a terse _goddammit, _she disregarded Stein's warnings to come back. The hunter took off to meet up with Black Star. She'd force him to come back, before the Deviljho got wise and decided they were food.

The snow crunched beneath her feet. "You fricken idiot! We need to get out of here right now! I'll cover you while you run-!"

"-Stay back!" Black Star barked back at her, letting his guard down for a fraction of a second. She'd surprised him. "You can't handle this!"

Maka stopped dead in her tracks, taken aback by his brashness. Her face quickly grew red in anger, "You son of a bitch! Don't talk down on me like that-!"

A terrible vocalization on the horizon shut Maka up. The Deviljho was upon them and if it wasn't already aware of their presence, it was now. She was horrified when the ground beneath them shook, every half second quaking by the feet of a terrible lizard. The beast quickly came into crystal-clear sight, its hulking body enough to crush anyone's hope for survival. But Black Star stood fast, his head spinning back around to stare the creature down with killing intent. And Maka, not to be outdone, cursed the world once more before swinging her scythe around.

"Soul!" she screeched, still struggling to keep her solid footing. "You know what to do!"

A grin. A piano. The pinstriped suit of black and gray, topped off with the drawling of his voice; "**_Allegro of the Soul."_**

Chords of a never-played song echoed like a symphony in the graying haze of the tundra. Everyone, perhaps even Deviljho, stopped for a moment to watch in awe as Maka started off into a sprint. Her legs quickly grew into a blur, the speed with which they moved so great that nobody could keep up with her. Within seconds, she closed the gap between her and Black Star, but that alone wasn't enough for her. Soul Eater sat within her subconscious, grinning malevolently as just before crashing into the blue-haired idiot, she suddenly took hard left.

Now all of a sudden, her feet weren't moving. She skidded along the ice, the leftover momentum being enough to carry her to their destination; Deviljho. Slush and snow became like waves, and she rode them like a pro. Her concentration was precise and with Soul Eater's constant playing, time seemed to slow down. The giant, crocodile-like beast opened its gaping jaw as she approached, but not quick enough to knock her off guard. Maka raised her scythe and, with burning green eyes, slashed at the creature as she slid safely out of harm's way.

"...Got 'em!" she cheered, slowly wrapping back around before stopping completely. There was, however, a problem.

Two things caught her off guard; the first being that searing, _fucking_ pain that suddenly plagued her shoulder. Confused and reeling, the hunter looked over to see a strange, green liquid seeping out of an open wound. She became horrified and promptly scrambled to get it out, but when her fingers touched the substance they too started burning. As she struggled with that, another thing became apparent. Despite being cut open by a giant scythe, Deviljho made no indication of being hit. In fact, the thing now came at the pair with full force.

"Shit!" Maka cursed, still busy pulling out globs of acidic green goo that never seemed to end. It kept making more of itself! "Shit shit shit-!"

"-_Maka, get out of there!_" Soul Eater called out to her, but it was pointless. The Deviljho was upon them and they couldn't outrun it if they tried.

The monster threw its mouth open wide, almost at a complete 180 degrees. Maka turned around and watched in horror as the giant, scaled behemoth threw itself forward and showed off its secret weapon; thick, green drool that burned the ground as it fell. She couldn't look away, knowing that she'd either die from acid or be torn to pieces. Soul Eater's constant calls towards her remained useless. She was frozen, with no hope of escape. If it wasn't for Black Star showing up at the last second, no doubt she'd have been a goner.

The man came out of nowhere. One second, Maka's eyes were filled with Deviljho's gaping maw. A moment later, Black Star came into view. His long sword outstretched, the hunter spun around and slammed the thick of his blade into the beast's skull. Even with just the bunt end, Black Star did enough damage to knock the Deviljho off its course and run into some adjacent trees. Flurries of wood and snow erupted from the small explosion, giving enough time for both him and Maka to take a few steps back to recover. Immediately they peeled off the acidic sludge.

"Deviljho saliva burns through armor," he breathed, gruffly wiping away at her open wound. Maka growled in pain. "Yours is too thin. Lemme take point, alright?"

She bit her lip to fight through the pain. With some effort, they got all of it off. After going through that, her mind was already made up. "Fine. I'll support."

"...You can't do it on your own, Black Star!" Both hunters turned to find Professor Stein running up towards them. To his right, an eager Switch Axe.

All three hunters looked at one another, as if conveying their plan to each other without words. Maka slowly fell towards the back of the group as Stein and Black Star took front stage. Whispering below her breath, the huntress let Soul Eater know to be ready. He obliged by readying his fingers to start playing the piano, and not a moment too soon as the Deviljho slowly emerged from his resting place. Its giant frame stood tall among the trees and once it spied the hunters down below, it made no hesitation. The beast was hungry.

They were ready to feed it steel.


End file.
